In a weird way, you could contend the Mets lost ground to the Nationals on Tuesday.

But only in a weird way, as in this: The Nationals’ 2016 manager will be better than their 2015 manager, whereas the Mets are sticking with their skipper.

Through every normal measure, count this as another good day for the Mets. If their success model relies heavily upon ineptitude from the rest of the National League East, then they just received another encouraging signal.

Hours before word broke that the Mets and Terry Collins agreed on a two-year extension through 2017, which will be formally recognized Wednesday in a news conference, the Nationals announced their hiring of Dusty Baker to replace the fired Matt Williams. The 66-year-old Baker, 19 days younger than Collins and with 20 years of major league managing on his resume, becomes the second-oldest manager in Major League Baseball.

The Baker ascension wrapped a frenetic search for the Nationals in which they reportedly settled last week on former Padres manager Bud Black, only to fail to complete an agreement with him and turn back to Baker, their other finalist. Their flawed process has produced a flawed result.

Matt WilliamsGetty Images

Baker fills the extremely small shoes of his former Giants player Williams, who, after a successful 2014 campaign that earned him National League Manager of the Year honors — not the Baseball Writers Association of America’s finest hour, it turns out — failed miserably in both major components of the job: clubhouse management and game management.

Dealing with people typically has been Baker’s strength, and Nationals upper management clearly is counting on Baker to work his magic with likely NL Most Valuable Player Bryce Harper, big personality Jayson Werth and whatever results from the bullpen logjam currently featuring Jonathan Papelbon and Drew Storen. For sure, when you manage Barry Bonds for 10 years (with the 1993-2002 Giants), you earn your stripes in this department.

Said one former co-worker of Baker, on the condition of anonymity: “He’s the pied piper.”

However, is Baker such a brilliant motivator of men that it will trump his performance between first pitch and last out?

It’s OK for managers to not embrace sabermetric principles with every last fiber of their being. Collins never will be confused for Bill James. But shouldn’t a 2016 manager be able to at least speak the language? To not view the very concept of on-base percentage with disdain?

(Let’s clear up one accusation that’s sure to emerge: That Baker ruined starting-pitching studs Mark Prior and Kerry Wood with overwork while leading the Cubs. Most people around that club, including general manager Jim Hendry, have acquitted Baker of any wrongdoing. And even if he did mess up back then, he didn’t experience any similar problems during his subsequent job with Cincinnati.)

Terry Collins (with David Wright) has been a steady steward for the Mets.AP

To Baker’s one pennant and seven postseason appearances, Black’s zero in both categories might make him look like the weaker candidate. Yet Black, hired initially by then-Padres president Sandy Alderson, spent eight-plus years leading San Diego teams with small payrolls and limited talent and impressing with his steadiness and game-running ability. That he worked for four different general managers (Kevin Towers, Jed Hoyer, Josh Byrnes and A.J. Preller, who dismissed him in June) displays the respect he earned. The Nationals, who appear poised to undergo a drastic roster renovation this winter, could have benefited from Black’s familiarity with departing veterans and developing youngsters.

Collins gets re-upped after a soul-crushing World Series that ended when he put too much faith in a competitive Matt Harvey. Yet Collins usually learns from his mistakes. He listens to ideas from his front offices. He has created a family atmosphere in the Mets clubhouse. Bringing him back proved as smooth and easy as it should have been.

Next season, Collins’ Mets will face a happier Nationals group. The Mets should be happy, too, though, that Washington didn’t upgrade even more from its worst attribute of 2015.